Research tells us that adopted children benefit from contact with their birth family and other people important to them when it is safe to do so. This helps adopted children develop a healthy sense of their identity. That is why Adopt North East requires all adopters to be open to promoting some form of contact with important people to the child. This could be sending and receiving messages on a regular basis, meeting on a virtual communication platform or, for some children, meeting face-to-face. Contact arrangements are carefully planned and supported by Adopt North East.